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Great Expectations cover art

Great Expectations

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

Pip is an orphan, brought up in a village on the Essex marshes by his disagreeable sister and her husband Joe Gargery, the kind-hearted village blacksmith. Life is harsh and Pip has few prospects until he receives from an anonymous benefactor the chance of escaping the forge for a more promising life in London. But his expectations are fraught with difficulties as he is haunted by figures from his past such as the escaped convict Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham, and her proud and beautiful ward, Estella. As he passes from childhood to adulthood he in time discovers his true self.

Powerfully moving, the story is immersed in Dickens's own memories of the past, raising questions about the extent to which individuals affect each other's lives.

Often considered Dickens's best-loved work, Great Expectations features some of his most memorable characters and continues to attract fans of all ages.

Dickens was one of eight children from a very poor family, with his father eventually being sent to debtors' prison. At the age of 12, Dickens had no choice but to start work in order to help clear the family debt. It was this troublesome childhood that provided him with much of the material for his novels and lent him a sympathetic voice for the poor.

Narrator Biography

Martin Jarvis is one of Britain's most admired actors. His audiobook output is legendary. He is described in Vanity Fair as 'the Olivier of audiobooks' and 'genius of the Spoken Word' in the LA Times. Award-winning recordings range from titles by Charles Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse and Michael Frayn to thrillers by Jeffrey Archer, Wilbur Smith, Ian Fleming and Dick Francis. Martin's BBC Just William recordings are worldwide best sellers.

Martin Jarvis has starred in many acclaimed West End and National Theatre productions and received the Theatre World Award as Jeeves on Broadway. Numerous UK television appearances encompass Law & Order, Doctor Who, Endeavour, Inspector Morse and The Forsyte Saga. In America: Murder She Wrote, Numb3rs, Cosmos and Walker, Texas Ranger. Films include Titanic, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wreck-It Ralph. Videogames: 'Alfred' in Batman, 'Finn McMissile' in Cars.

Martin is invested by HM the Queen as Officer of Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Great Expectations

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant rendition

I have recently decided (having failed to read classics as a kid) to listen to them by audio book. This was brilliantly read and I'll now continue my objective by purchasing a second classic read by Martin Jarvis. He has brought the characters to life brilliantly.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

surpassed my expectations

Having heard the abridged version and seen Dickens adaptations on TV I couldn't understand why people said his writing was funny until I heard this. Martin Jarvis is so much more interesting than I can generate in my own mind. His intonation and accents bring this alive. The character observations are terrific and this is so much richer than the narrative of the story.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant narration of a great classic story

Brilliantly narrated by Martin Jarvis and very much enjoyed. I know it's a Dickens classic, but I've never read it or watched a dramatisation past the very opening grave yard scene, I didn't think it would appeal. There's a massive advantage for me in having the Dickens novels narrated. I could never bring the characters to life in the same way. The beauty of having the book narrated rather than a dramatised version is that you get to hear all the wonderful prose and don't miss out on any of the story.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent listen

I recently watched this on the television and i couldn't stop thinking about it , i got this title with my first credit with audible and i enjoyed it so much , the language wasn't hard to understand and i found myself laughing and crying in parts of the listen . for my first ever Charles Dickens book it really was very enjoyable and accessible.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Heavy going, but worth the effort

What can I say that hasn't already been said in any English Lit. GCSE essay? I got a C so this review probably won't be great!
Every now and then I pick up a classic just to see what all the fuss is about. If you want a snapshot of Victorian life, then this is your book. I think it's about class struggle, tragic love, loss, friendship and the grass being greener. All good themes really.
The beginning was gripping, the middle somewhat confusing and the ending left everything wrapped up.
Definitely better than Jane Eyre!
Martin Jarvis does an excellent narration job, bringing what would have a been a heavy and dull read alive in spoken word. This is a great example of how audio books can make some large tomes more accessible.
Here endeth my review.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant Story Brilliantly Told

What did you like most about Great Expectations?

Recently, I have set about filling the gaps in my literary education by "reading" the books picked by the UK in the BBC's Great Read project of 2003 - the British public were asked to vote for their favourite all time book. Embarrassingly, I had never read a Dickens novel. The book takes a little while to get going but is a brilliant read and the narration is superb. Great Expectations was the 17th most loved book in the BBC survey. I would have to put it in my top 3. I have now his other books to "read" - many hour of bliss, greatly expected.

What other book might you compare Great Expectations to, and why?

Pride and Prejudice - if only because their are both brilliantly told classic love stories.

What about Martin Jarvis’s performance did you like?

Excellent, all the characters are brought to life with the perfect intonation

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Martin Jarvis rocks

The audio book for Great Expectations by any other actor would be dull. Martin Jarvis, brings Dickens' masterpiece to life!



Funny, well narrated and Great Expectation is my all time favourite in my library.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Martin Jarvis makes this work

I had tried reading a paper copy of "Great Expectations" a few years ago, but disliked the accents and patois of Joe the Blacksmith; but in this audio version of the book he is my favourite character thanks to the narration of Martin Jarvis, who does a great job throughout the book.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

an old favourite so wonderfully read

I love this reading of Great Expectations. Martin Jarvis' wonderful narration brings it to life and the story which I have long loved once again hooked me in.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Really enjoyed this recording. Jarvis is an excellent narrator

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5 people found this helpful